Improvement in cartridges



UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. WRIGHT,YOF. WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFUOLUMBIA.

IM PROVEMENT `IN CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,582, dated ugust 27, 1878 application filed J une 15, 1878.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M.WRIGHT,

of Washington, in the county of Washington, and in the District of Columbia, have invented certain `new. and `useful Improvements in Cartridges for Small-Arms and Machine-Guns and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,J and exact description thereof, ref-v erence being had to the accompanying draw- `i'ngs,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to metallic cartridges for riiled guns and pistols; and it consists in a metallic cartridge having ytwo or moreballs ot' thecaliber'of the gun, one placed in front of the other, the front bullet or ball being secured by turning-in the metallic shell-on it, and the space between the balls lled with a lubricant, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which 'my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which', the figure in the accompanyingdrawing represents a cartridge embodying my invention.

A represents theshell of a metallic cartridge, which may be constructed in any of the Vknown and usual ways. B represents the charge of powder, and C C represent vtwo or.

more balls, placed one in front of the other within the shell A. vThese balls should be of the same caliber as the gun or pistol for which the cartridge is intended, grd, owing to their sluggage, they will take the riding ofthe gun as they pass through the same. The outer ball is held inplace by turnin g-in. the end ofthemetallic case, as seen at y. The interstices be tween the balls C C are lilled with a lubricant, as shown at a: w.

Though-I prefer, in carrying out my invcntion, to use the ordinaryround balls, as shown inthe drawing, .itis obvious that balls of any fo'rmpmay be used. f My invention is especially intended for comparatively short-ranges, when all the balls of each cartridge will come comparatively close togetherw without scattering too much, and hence terrible execution will be done.

The charge of powder required is much less than in rifle-cartridges, which give the room necessary for the multiple balls, and allows the same cartridge. to be used in all small-arms and machine-guns. I have found, after careful experiments, that the charge or" powder -needed with my cartridge is about one-half of that now lused by the Government in the adopted cartridge.

I do-not claim two or more irregularlyshaped yballs used in a cartridge-case having interior and exterior grooves and ribs, as I am aware that `such is not new. Neither do I broadly claim two or more bullets placed in thesanie caitridgasliell, as I am aware that such has been done before. `'rVith my invention I can use the ordinary cartridge-case and the common round ball.

Having thus fully described my invention, A'

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A metallic cartridge having twov or more ullets of the caliber of the gun, the front bullet being 'secured by turning-in the metallic shellupon it, and the space between the bullets being lled with a lubricant, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto set my hand this '14th day 0i J une, 1878. EDWARD M. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

FRANK GALT, J. M. MASON; 

